AHH The Joy of Retail Therapy

Well what fun I have had in the last 2 days. My cousin, her mom, her kids, my sister and I hit the road on Tuesday and headed for Bangor, ME. This is about 4 hrs away and is the place to be for Retail Therapy.
RETAIL THERAPY...for those of you who have not yet experienced it...you will and let me tell you it is soooo great!
So I actually did go with a mission...to find things for the walls of Nathaniel's room. And I actually did find some things. I found a wall hanging of blue stars and moons at Mardens for the low low price of 4.97 and I found a set of wall hangings (square soft pillow like hangings with Nursery Rhymes on them) and a valance to match at Burlington Coat factory....This store is renamed by yours truely as "New Mom Heaven on Earth". For those of you not familiar this store is the greatest store ever. It has about 50 aisles of baby/kid/decor stuff, clothing, equipment, toys and books. It is amazing and 100 times more fun than toys r us because it is all so super cheap and discounted. I got a outfit that came with pants, shirt and a jacket for 11.97 (how can you beat that).
We also went to Targets...oh oh...bad store. So Okay I got Nathaniel a Halloween Costume. I think we will be home by Halloween and if not we will have Halloween either in Ethiopia or when we get back (thats right I will move the date of Halloween....not...but the kids in our extended family will do Halloween over when Nathaniel arrives). It is a dragon costume, it is made out of this really nice warm fuzzy/furry material that is sooo cute. I am attaching pics of all my goodies.
Once folded it really doesn't look like a lot..but check out the pics of it all laid out on the bed.
Fun was had by all!!!

Week 10 of Waiting is Done! How much longer???

That is the million dollar question. Who knows! Its getting harder and harder each day to bear this wait for Nathaniel to come home. In the meantime...I have more work to do on his room..although it is certainly slowly coming together which is exciting!
Hopefully just a few more weeks..but its still hard to predict when I will get my travel date. Hopefully Soon!!!!
Louise

Update

I still can't post Nathaniel's photo so here is another sneek peek....look at the chubby fingers!




Well yesterday I got an update on Nathaniel. Holy Cow my boy is 21 lbs already! Whatever they are feeding him there must be doing him well...he has gained almost 6 lbs since March. Growing like a weed was the description used in this update. His hair is growing as well and he has a full head of soft curls!
The update is sooo nice to get...but I wish he was here marking those milestones at home and growing up at home..but soon! He will be here in not time at all!
No word if the medical was done yet...I assume not quite yet but will find out tommor
row if the medical paperwork arrived yet in Addis Ababa.
Louise

Lisa, Pierre, Marika and Karelle arrive home.

These are some of my favourite pictures from Lisa and Pierre's arrival home. I am sooo happy I was able to be at the airport to see them arrive home from airport. Something that I will remember for a long time!
Welcome home Goguen Family!!!!
Louise

July 31st...Logged into Immigration

So on July 31st the immigration department stated on their website that my file was in progress!!! YAY. Apparently most families wait between 2-6 weeks after this for their medical forms to arrive. Once the medical is done it is sent back to Nairobi. From that point it is 4 weeks till travel date!!! So really that means I could potentially (baring any snags) travel in 6-10 weeks...WOW!!!
I am still waiting for a current update on Nathaniel...an agency person just returned from Ethiopia this week...so hopefully an update will be here soon! I can't wait to seen new pics and see how much he has grown again in a month!
August 8th already..hard to believe the summer will be over soon and September will be here. Bring on the fall I say :) I can't wait!
Louise

7 WEEKS WAITING TO BRING YOU HOME

It's been 7 weeks of waiting for Nathaniel to come home. A lot has happened already. The acceptance papers have gone over to Ethiopia, the court date has been requested, given and approved...Nathaniel became my legal child...and the Immigration process has been started. So everyone asks...when will you travel???That is the million dollar question. I will travel 4 weeks after the medical is done. Most people have been travelling in 5 months...I am hoping it will be 4 months...because we are going to Disney end of November and I want Nathaniel home for a while before that so he can be settled in.
I am hopeful that I will be travelling in the middle of October..but only time will tell!
But beyond that...it is soo very exciting to be almost 2 months into this wait!
Louise

Lisa, Pierre, Marika and Karelle....You are coming HOME!!!!

Its hard to believe that you will be home in less than 2 days. After all the tears, laughter, screams in frustration, shrieks of joy and kisses sent to our babies over the thousands of miles...it is time for Marika and Karelle to come home!
Tommorrow I am leaving for Moncton to welcome home this family who have become very near and dear to me over the last 2 years. Lisa and Pierre and I were starting the process together at around the same time. We did not know each other until we ended on the CAFAC message board. We were both beyond delighted that there was another family in the Maritimes who were starting the process. Many phone calls and emails ensued and thus started this friendship! I am so grateful and thankful to have met Lisa and her family and cannot wait to have our kids play together on the playground or in the sandbox.
Welcome Home Lisa, Pierre, Marika and Karelle! I cannot wait to see you come in that door at the airport!! It is going to be such a great memory! And I can't wait to finally be able to take a photo of the entire family together!!!!
Louise